


spontaneous generation

by havisham



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fate & Destiny, For Science!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-25 04:24:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17114414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havisham/pseuds/havisham
Summary: For good or ill, Lisa has always made her own fate. That was why she sought out Dracula in the first place: he had knowledge she needed to help the people of Wallachia. Falling in love with him wasn't predestined. It was a choice, and one that she would make again and again.





	spontaneous generation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/gifts).



One winter night, when Lisa was still small, an old woman came to her parents’ door and asked if she could tell the little girl’s fortune. The request was treated with suspicion, as all such offers might be. It was winter in Wallachia, after all, and bone-white moon shone down on them. In the deep, soft snows, strange, undead things may roam. 

But the old woman was living, Lisa knew, for when she took her hand, it was warm, through fragile as tissue. There was strange smell that clung to her too -- not unpleasant, but foreign, exotic. The woman squinted over Lisa’s pudgy hand and exclaimed over this and that -- that Lisa would grow to be a great beauty, and her children would be strong and powerful. 

But suddenly, the chatter stopped. The old woman looked deeply into the eyes of the little girl, with an intensity that frightened her. Gravely, she said, “You’ve got a strange life in front of you, Lisa of Lupu. You will do great deeds, but few will recognize you. You will toil but get no rest. And love will be your downfall.” 

A long silence followed her pronouncement. Lisa withdrew her hand and said, “Will I be able to help people, as I want to?” 

“Yes, but it will destroy you in the end.” 

“Then I would accept it.” 

“That is easy to say now, when you are young and bold. But I wonder how you will feel with old age steals into your bones?” 

“From your predictions, it does not seem I need to worry about that.” 

The old woman smiled. “You are a strange one, but it seems your fate is set.” 

“I don’t believe in fate,” Lisa informed her. “Only in the choices I make.” 

“Then, your choices will led you to your fate.” 

*

Many years later, Lisa thought of the old woman as she traversed the blasted countryside, on her way to Dracula’s castle. As long as she could remember, she had heard two sorts of stories about Dracula: one, that he was a pitiless monster who bled dry whole cities that dared to defy him, and second, that he had more knowledge stored in his castle and in his brain than all of the libraries of the Church. The legend went that if one was bold enough to go to Dracula’s castle and ask him to teach them, he would do so -- for a price. But there was no record of anyone ever surviving Dracula’s tutelage. Perhaps the price was too high? 

Lisa, in the absence of any other option, decided that she would be the first. The road to the castle was an easy one to follow -- she just followed the trail of terrified people and animals and headed to where they had left. As soon as she spotted the field of impaled bodies and the castle, like a sinister, twisted mountain on the horizon, she knew she’d come to the right place. 

Painfully aware that, besides her knife, she was unarmed and vulnerable to attack, Lisa marched to the door and knocked. If Dracula or any of his minions should attack and kill her, she would be doomed. But if Dracula left her get in a word edgewise, she was fairly confident that she could bring him around. 

*

Lisa was more often right than she was wrong. Dracula was quite receptive to her requests and only asked her to stay in his castle until her studies were complete. 

“You are quite different than I’d expected,” Lisa told him once things had been settled between them. She had made herself home in his library and was reading as much as she could. She thanked her parents and the kindly priest -- all long since dead -- for teaching her Latin and Adamaic. Without such a background, her absorption of Dracula’s knowledge could not be even be attempted.

Dracula drew himself up, as if offended. “Do you wish me to growl and demand to drink your blood? Wallachians are a backwards people, but far be it for me to hold even one back if she desires to know more about the world.” 

“You are the soul of generosity, my lord,” Lisa said drily. 

If Dracula was not entirely such a tall and imposing figure of myth and terror, Lisa would have thought him rather put out by her tone. But instead of sulking -- which she thought he might, despite being such a mythic figure, he sat beside her and told her all the ways the author of the book she was reading was wrong, or at least slightly mistaken. In the end, she put aside the book altogether and listened to him, taking notes as she did so, and asking questions. 

*

Lisa didn’t know when, exactly, she realized that she loved Dracula. It came to her suddenly, as they were studying through a device he called a microscope together, looking at the tiny creatures that lived in the air, in the water and in blood -- everywhere. Their hands brushed against each other and Lisa glanced over at him. If he was not always the same exact shade of white as ever, she would’ve thought he was blushing. Or perhaps she only thought this because she was blushing furiously herself. 

It was only a physical response, she reminded herself. It didn’t mean anything. “Dracula,” she began to say, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I -- had a question…” If only she could remember what it was! 

“What is it, Lisa of Lupu?” Dracula’s eyes were almost hypnotic in their color and depth. Lisa felt herself staring back at them with inexpressible longing. 

Then she blinked. “You know, I’m not a noble or anything. I’m not ‘of Lupu’ -- I just grew up there. Also, are you trying to hypnotize me, Dracula?” 

He blinked. “Oh. Were you hypnotized ? Sometimes it happens. Do you mind it?” 

“Of course I mind you --” Lisa glanced down at her notes quickly. The lock of hair slipped out and he reached out to push it away. 

Tenderly, he said, “When you’re in the laboratory, you really ought to tie back your hair more tightly.” 

“ _Your_ hair isn’t tied back at all,”she pointed out. 

“It wouldn’t matter to me if my hair caught on fire,” he said haughtily. 

Really, he was too frustrating. Lisa went back to her work, and her romantic feelings for Dracula were put to bed -- until the next time he was endearingly stubborn, or willing to share with her some bit of knowledge that rearranged everything she already knew. 

Perhaps the old woman was right in saying that Lisa was doomed to live an interesting life. Certainly, every day with Dracula was an adventure, and every day, Lisa grew more and more in love. 

 

Though she wouldn’t tell him -- yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Title refers to the precursor to germ theory.
> 
> Honestly, it is really such a nerdy joy to think about Lisa and Dracula, doin' science together, that this fic was almost entirely that. It was really fun!


End file.
